Coil spring assembly



y 1950 w. w. GLEASON 2,945,245

con. SPRING ASSEMBLY Filed March 17, less 28 g2; I 36 M33 32 52 52- J6 M k MENTOR 76 35 William W 6 605011 zw j z/m YM with the operation of the springs.

COIL SPRING ASSEIVIBLY Filed Mar. 17, 1958, Ser.'No. 7' 21,71'3

'3 Claims. 01. s-'-3s1 This invention relates .to a coil spring assembly for use i in the fabrication of mattresses, upholstered furniture and the like, and it relates more particularly to a spring assembly used in combination with padding in building up to a final structure.

The invention herein embodies the conventionalfc onw struction of a plurality of coil springs arranged between border wires in'aligned crosswise and lengthwise rows, and it further embodies improvements employed in such combination to enhance the resiliency and support oifered by the spring unit coupled with an interdependence between the springs to maintain a desired flatness in the surface and to protect, the spring coils from the infiltrationof the padding whereby unbalance in construction and operation has been experienced. It further ties in the coil springs in the crosswise and lengthwise rows more effectively to distribute the load and to provide greater resiliency to thec'omposite spring structure, n

In arranging the coils to embody the concept of this invention, one of the problems to be faced is the interconnection of the individual coil. springs in a manner to militate against the inadvertent displacement from predetermined positions in the assembly. Another problem needed to be overcome in the practice of this invention resides in the tendency for the cushioning or padding material with which the spring unit is overlaid to sometimes break or tear through fragments which intrude into the areas of the coil springs to interfere with the normal actions of the coil springs in compression and recoil and to provide for non-uniformities in the amount of padding present as a layer on the surfaces of the spring unit.

It is an object of this invention to produce a coil spring assembly in which the individual coil springs are arranged and interconnected in a manner to deter or prevent inadvertent displacement from their intended or predetermined; position within the assembly.

Another object is the production of a coil spring assern'bly in.whichthe" assembly is provided with ,means along .the surface to block penetrationtor infiltration of padding orcushioning materials into the area occupied byv the coil springs where such material can interfere Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification and the appended drawings, which disclosed one embodiment of the invention.

It will be understood, however, that other modifications of the invention are possible which also come within the spirit of the invention and the appended claims;

In the drawings: j c Figure l is a top plan view of a coil spring unit embodying the features of this invention with portions broken away for purposes of better illustration;

nited States Patent ice . a top border wire 14. The spring coils 12, which are spaced one from the other in the crosswise and lengthwise rows, may be of hour-glass or other conventional shapes but it is preferred to make use of comically shaped coil springs with the terminal coils 16 of largest dimension uppermost in the spring assembly. The coil springs 12 are arranged with the outer portions of the terminal coils 16 of the outermost coil springs adjacent the border wire 14 whereby an assembled relation between the terminal coils of the outermost coil springs and the border wire can be effected by means of a helical tie wire 18 or other-conventional interconnecting means.

The coil springs 12 are interconnected at their lower ends 20 by a lattice work formed of crosswise and lengthwise extending wires 22 and 24 respectively which are interwoven with the bottom coils of the coil springs. The lengthwise-wires 24 underlie the respective lengthwise rows 12b of the coil springs and the crosswise wires 22 underlie the crosswise rows 12a of the coil springs. The members 24 are provided with an offset portion 25 spaced apart throughout the length thereof at intervals to coincide with the lower ends 20 of each of the coil springs 12 in the lengthwise rows. Similarly, the crosswise membars 22 are provided with a plurality of upstruck portions 23 spaced apart by an amount to coincide with the lower ends of each of the coil springs 12 in thecrosswise FigureZ is an elevational side view of aportion of the coil spring assembly;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

rows. In the alternative, the upstruck portion and the offset portion may be interchanged as between the wires 22 and 24.

' In assembly, the members 24 are arranged across the top of the bottom coil 20 of the coil springs so that the oifset portion 25 extends downwardly into the bottom coil. The other members 22 pass beneath the bottom coil 20 of the lower springs so that the upstruck portion 23 will extend upwardly into the terminal coil and over the ofiset portion- 25 of the members 24 to effect interconnecting relation between the members 22, 24, and

the terminal coilof the coil springs which militates against inadvertentdisplacement of the elements from the assembled relation.

The base members 22 and 24 may be formed of spring steel or other relatively resilient materials. In assembly,

nect the coil springs 12 one with another and with the.

border wires. 1

The tie wires 32 are dimensioned to have a length corresponding to the spaced relationship between the border wires 14 in-their crosswise direction plus free end portions for winding about the border Wires for attachment, as at 34. The tie wires 32, which may befabricated of a resilient and flexible material, are arranged to extend crosswise between the border wires in substantial alignment with the axes of .the coil springs in the crosswise rows and at a level to span the coil springs immediately beneath the top terminal coils 16 of the coil springs. Thus, the terminal coils are uniformly sup- 3 ported at their upper ends to maintain a substantially uniform level. Other tie wires 32a, similar to the tie wires 32, also extend crosswise between the border wires 14 in parallel relation with the wires 32 but midway between the crosswise aligned rows of the coil springs;

The lengthwise tie wires 28 are dimensioned to have an eficctive length cor-responding to the distance between. the border wires 14 in the lengthwise direction. of the spring assembly. The wires 28 are provided in pairs and. cooperate one with the other in the. pair to interconnect the terminal coils of the coil springs, crosswise wires 32 and 32a and the border wires 14 to effect an assembled relationship which ties in the elements one with the other: in forming an assembled relation without the necessity to make use of the conventional helical tie wires.

In defining theconstruction and operation of the tie wires 28, description will be made as to the function and. arrangement of one pair with the understanding that the other pairs are similarly employed. A pair of tie wires 28 extends between each adjacent lengthwise pair of rows of coil springs in the assembly. Each tie wire 28 extends from its'connection 36 to the border wire to the upper terminal coil 16 of the coil spring in the first ofthe crosswise rows of coil springs. The tie wire extends over the adjacent portion of the terminal coil of the coil springs and under the tie'wire 32 and then up and over the terminal coil 'of the coil spring on the other side of the tie wire 32. From the first coil in the first of the crosswise rows of coil springs, the tie wire 28 extends continuously, obliquely toward the terminal coils of the coil springs in theuadjac'ent lengthwise row ofthe .coil springs and in the second crosswise row of the coil springs until it meets the crosswise wire 32a between the crosswise rows of the coil springs. One of the tie wires 28 passes over While its companion wire passes under the crosswise wire 32a and then each of the Wires reverses its direction to extend obliquely back to the terminal coil of the coil spring which is next in the same lengthwise row previously engaged by the wire 28. Thus, the wires 28 weave back and'forth between the crosswise tie wires 32a and the terminal coils of the coil springs in the same lengthwise row to efiect the desired interconnected relation. a

At the points where the tie wires 28 cross the .tie wires 32 within the coil spririgsythe tie wires are provided with an ofiset portion 38 which dips within the plane of the upper terminal coil 16 and preferably slightly therebelow to define an opening'between the offset portion and the terminal coil 16 (signified in Figure 3) through which the crosswise wire '32 extendsv in the preferred assembly.

In this arrangement, the crosswise tie wire 32 is restrained against lateral movement by the oiiset portion 38 and by' the interengagement with the lengthwise tie wires 28 which extend upand over the terminal coils of the coil springs thereby to promote a more stable assembly. j

At those points where each pair of the tie wires-28 crosses each other in passageover and under the crosswise tie'wires 32a, one of the tie wires is providedwith an offset portion 42 while the other is provided with an upstruckportion 44 which together in juxtaposition provide an opening 46 'therebetween. The crosswise tie wires 32a extend through the openings 46 and are thus at the same time blocking the openings between the coil springs to prevent penetration of the padding into the area of the spring assembly. The result of a network of the type formed by the crosswise and lengthwise tie wires and the coil springs is to present a substantially flat surface on which the cushioningv and padding material may be installed and maintained in uniform distribution to provide a flat but resilient cushion.

It will be understood that thenetwork of crosswise and lengthwise .tie. wires 32, 32a, and. 28 coupled. with the border wire 14 and theterminal coils, of. the coil springs will together form a flexible and resilient means capable of distributing load imposed upon any portion of the spring assembly thereby to, provide a more substantial and resilient support for the mattress or the upholstered furniture.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of the. construction, arrangement and operation without departing. from. the spirit of the invention asv set forth. in the following. claims.

"1. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in a series. of spaced crosswise and lengthwise rows, a border wire extending continuously about'the' spring coils adjacent the outer edges of the uppercoil ofthe outer coil springs, means interconnecting the-border wires with the adjacent portion ofthe upper terminal coil of the coil springs, a first group of tie wires extending continuously from the border wire on one side to the border [wire on the. opposite side and in alignment with the spring coils in one direction and in'between the spring coil-s in 'the same direction with the wires in alignment with thespring coils passing beneath the terminal coils of the coil springs a second group of crossing tie wires extending in pairs .in the direction transverse to the first group of. tie wires from the border wire on the one side to. the border wire on the oppositeside, said second group of tie wiresengaging the adjacent inner edges of the terminal coils inadjace'nt .rows of the coil springs at non-crossover points and engaging each other-at the crossover points between the aligned .coil springs in the rows. with thenwiresfatthe non-crossover points passing over the terminalcoil's and under the first tie wire extendingin. opposite direction beneath the terminal coils and with the wires at the crossover points crossing each other about the tie wire extending "in the opposite direction between thecoil .springs thereby to interconnect the terminal coilsof thecoil spring one with the other and the border :wires in. a protective network.

. 2. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each wire in each ofthe pairs of the other groups of tie liefe'rences Cited in the 'file 1dr this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,614

'Bridgewater May 23, 1905 902,011 Staples Oct. 27, 1908 1,451,924 Reidenbach Apr. 17, 1923 1,465,996- Reidenbach Aug. 28, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,986. Great Britain Dec. 30, 1948 725,483

Great Britain Mar. 2, 1955 

